If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

CoSaS: Mid 2006 Press Release (Updated!)

In the past few years, CoSaS has dragged on and on (and on) with very little sign of an end. Approximately six months ago, Digi sent an e-mail to a voice actor about some lines that needed recording. The voice actor in question responded that whilst he would do it, he doesn’t like recording lines that never see the light of day.

This came as a surprise to many of us, as none of us had any doubt that Mission X (MX) would be released. However, it did act as a wakeup call (to quote said voice actor). Outside our team, there was doubt that MX would be finished. As Robert Burns once said, “O wad some Power the giftie gie us to see oursels as ithers see us!”

We realised that things were going to have to be done differently; we could no longer just take it as it came. We started prioritising problems, and came up with what seemed to be a realistic release date… the end of this year.

In January, we released a selection of sights sounds and story from MX. Now, we’re halfway through the year, and though we have no new things to show, we do have new things to tell. Without further ado, here is what we’re all doing (in alphabetical order).

Anarchic Fox
The old guard of MX is still present and accounted for, and though he hasn’t the time any longer to directly contribute, he knows the mission as best anyone could, and stands by to aid the new team members in the trials they face.

Digital Nightfall
Some of you may know that Digi is currently working on a master’s degree in architecture. In his (little) spare time he skews the area of his research in the direction of CoSaS-pertinent styles, for both MX and the next few CoSaS missions. Though MX itself won’t benefit as much from his education, the following missions should.

The Briefing Team
DrK is the animator, Julia and Mari are the artists, and Sogax is on Foley and music. The planned briefing for MX is as groundbreaking as the mission itself, and these four talented artists should be capable of pulling it off.

redleaf
Skinning the AIs to create subtle nuances, making the AIs more varied falls in redleaf’s purview. For those who look closely, there will be significations of rank and social status on some of the guards’ uniforms.

Selah
What would a mission be without sound propagation? Selah is responsible for the separate but intrinsically linked tasks of bringing the mission audibly alive and allowing the map to mark your exploration progress. It is through her work that you shall never get lost, and that the cup you just dropped makes a dull thud when it comes into contact with the wooden desk. And the ears of the deaf shall be unstoppered!

Shadowspawn
Too many missions have AIs just standing around, not actually doing anything. In a casino, AIs should be gambling, not standing. With his motion editing skills, Shadowspawn is making the craps tables come to life!

Sogax
There are many new textures in CoSaS, and some of them require new sounds; thankfully Sogax is more than just a musician, but our Foley artist as well. You have heard his work before; the music playing in the background of the panoramic screenshots of the January Media Release.

Yametha
Scripting is needed to make MX more than a picturesque locale. As Dante works his way through the mission, many things change. How Dante receives his orders, and how the people and objects react when he carries out those orders come under the blanket title ‘The Main Quest’. With the invaluable help of telliamed, this is now 2/3rds complete.

Yandros
There is more to scripting in MX than the main quest. There are a number of other things going on in the Ivory Rose. Yandros, with the help of Nameless Voice, took charge of a particularly complex scripted event and has done an astonishing job.

So, that is what we’re doing. I’m sure many of you still have a nagging question in your minds… when will it be finished? Are these just empty promises? Here’s an honest answer.

Scripting is almost over, and when it’s over, Alpha testing begins.

During alpha testing, cosmetic effects will be finalised (such as object models, textures and sounds) and bugs will be ironed out. This will probably take a while. A mission this complex with linear and nonlinear plot elements interwoven through multiple paths is bound to be as buggy as a five day old slab of meat in the summertime. No one wants that, so extra time must be taken.

The better job we do during alpha, the easier it will be for those who help out for the beta.

Now for the bad news: most of us are students. We have managed to make substantial progress, even during term time, however when exams approach, work almost stops completely. This means that we have less available time to finish it.

If MX reaches Beta before we reach our end of year exams, it will very probably be released the same year.

‘Til next press release,
~ Yametha

Post Script: See Digital Nightfall's post here if you are an author who would like to help Mission X reach Alpha by the end of August.

Digi goes on a bit of a monolog on page 2, not with more news, but with some words on what you'll be able to expect from MX.

Yes, just one. Mission X is the second mission (no, it's not the tenth )

The missions that follow Mission X are in various stages of completeness. Occasionally an idea (usually about the storyline) pops up, or someone will find something (usually a collection of pictures) that will be useful for one of them, but at the moment almost all effort is being focused on Mission X.

To Bikerdude: We certainly believe it will! Some of the very few people who are not in the team that have seen it were certain it would. It could be a tough act to follow, though... just joking, the subsequent missions will be of a different type, so hopefully they won't seem pale next to MX.

To everyone who has responded so far: Personally, I'm touched by what you say. I'm sure everyone will be getting a warm and fuzzy feeling somewhere because of this. Your praise does not fall on deaf ears!